Shutter Hinge and Fastener c. 1936

James M. Lawson made "Shutter Hinge and Fastener" with what looks like ink on paper. What strikes me is the delicate balance between utility and artistry. Lawson meticulously renders these everyday objects. Look at the even hatching giving the impression of light falling across the forms. You can sense the weight and texture of the original object from the page. Each line seems carefully considered, almost reverential. It's interesting to imagine Lawson's process. Did he work directly from the objects, or from memory? The even line weight and restrained details remind me of technical drawings, but there's something more here. It's the kind of image that makes you reconsider the beauty in the mundane. Like the precision of an Agnes Martin grid, it's a simple gesture, but opens up into something larger, questioning our everyday perception. What is art for, if not to make us look again?